41,000 Native Trees, Wetland Plants, and Shrubs Planted; 30 Wildlife Species Return
Nine Mile Creek is now a thriving ecosystem and part of a green corridor connecting Onondaga Lake to upland areas as a result of Honeywell’s improvement work. Thirty acres of enhanced wildlife habitat are now home to 30 fish and wildlife species. Nine Mile Creek will be accessible to the public in fall 2015.
The wetlands and creek were enhanced with trees, including oak, maple, and sycamore; shrubs, including hazelnut, chokecherry, and spicebush; and plants, including ferns, sedges, and bulrushes. Nine Mile Creek is now home to 30 fish and wildlife species, including beaver, muskrat, white-tailed deer, bald eagle, mallard, northern pike, largemouth bass, sunfish, red-tailed hawk, and green frog.
Capping work in Onondaga Lake continues. While the work is in progress, the lower portion of Nine Mile Creek will be used for construction activities. Additional plantings will be completed in 2015.
Nine Mile Creek is one of the primary tributaries of Onondaga Lake, flowing north and east from Camillus and entering Onondaga Lake as it passes under the Onondaga County West Shore Trail extension.
For the full Nine Mile Creek wetlands plant list, click here.
On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell is improving a total of 50 acres of wetlands and planting about 1.1 million plants, shrubs, and trees.
The remediation was performed under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Department of Health, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.